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| Britain says no to Syria intervention as U.S. considers actions Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:11 PM PDT  By Andrew Osborn and Oliver Holmes LONDON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Britain will not join any military action against Syria after a stunning parliamentary defeat on Thursday of a government motion on the issue, dealing a setback to U.S.-led efforts to punish Damascus over the use of chemical weapons against civilians. Following a 285-272 vote against a motion by British Prime Minister David Cameron to authorize a military response in principle, British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond confirmed Britain would not be involved in any action against Syria. ... Full Story | Top |
| Verizon in talks to buy out Vodafone stake: sources Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:52 PM PDT  By Kate Holton and Sinead Carew LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Verizon Communications is close to buying the remaining stake in Verizon Wireless from Vodafone Group PLC it does not own for potentially $130 billion, according to people familiar with the talks, in what could be the third-biggest deal of all time. Verizon, the number one U.S. mobile carrier, has made no secret of its desire to gain full ownership of a network that is growing fast and generating billions of dollars in free cash flow, hoping to reap the monetary benefits. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. envoy set to leave Friday on mission to free American in North Korea Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 08:01 PM PDT  By Elaine Lies TOKYO (Reuters) - A U.S. envoy was set to leave Japan on Friday to secure the release of an imprisoned and ailing American missionary in North Korea, a move that could signal the start of a gradual thaw in relations between Washington and Pyongyang. Robert King, special envoy for North Korean human rights issues, is scheduled to return from Pyongyang on Saturday after a one-day trip, an official at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo said. The official was unable to specify exact times. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombian president calls for calm as farm protests reach Bogota Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 06:56 PM PDT  By Helen Murphy and Fernando Peinado BOGOTA (Reuters) - Thousands of Colombian farmers and state workers marched through Bogota on Thursday, banging pots and pans as they converged on the capital after 11 days of increasingly violent protests against agricultural and trade policies they say have left them impoverished. Students wearing balaclavas pelted shop windows with rocks near the capital's main square and clashed with riot police who fired tear gas to disperse them. Bogota imposed a curfew in three of the more populated areas of the city after violence continued into the night. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. consults oil experts as it weighs action against Syria Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 05:22 PM PDT  By Timothy Gardner and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Obama administration officials have contacted energy experts in recent days to discuss oil market conditions as the president weighs a military strike against Syria, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. There are no signs the government is preparing to tap emergency oil reserves soon in a bid to tame rising prices, according to the sources who spoke with Reuters this week, though the administration is closely monitoring the situation. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. still aims to act with allies on Syria: Hagel Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:04 PM PDT  MANILA (Reuters) - The United States will continue to seek out an international coalition to act together on Syria, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Friday, after Britain's parliament rejected military action. "It is the goal of President (Barack) Obama and our government ... whatever decision is taken, that it be an international collaboration and effort," Hagel said during a trip to the Philippines, adding that the United States would continue to consult with Britain. "Our approach is to continue to find an international coalition that will act together. ... Full Story | Top |
| Rwanda accuses Congo of shelling as tensions mount Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:26 PM PDT  By Jenny Clover and Pete Jones KIGALI/GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Rwanda accused Congo on Thursday of shelling its territory and said it would not tolerate such "provocation", raising fears that violence in eastern Congo could erupt into a regional conflict. The Democratic Republic of Congo said Rwanda's accusation was a sign Kigali wanted to intervene openly in its eastern war. Rwanda has denied accusations by U.N. experts that it covertly backs Congo's M23 rebels. The mounting cross-border tensions came as a newly-deployed U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| UK's Cameron loses parliamentary vote on Syria action Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:11 PM PDT  LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister David Cameron lost a vital parliamentary vote on Thursday night meant to pave the way for Britain to join a looming military strike on Syria, in a move that appeared to all but rule out British involvement in such action. In a humiliating and unexpected development, Cameron and his coalition government failed to pass a motion that would have authorized military action against Syria in principle by 285 to 272 votes. ... Full Story | Top |
| 'Shadow' banks face 2015 deadline to comply with first global rules Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 11:55 AM PDT  By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) - The $60 trillion "shadow banking" sector has been given until 2015 to fully comply with its first set of global rules, after an international regulatory task force unveiled plans to curb risk without strangling economic recovery. Leaders of the group of 20 economies (G20) meet in Russia next week to endorse the rules written by their Financial Stability Board (FSB), setting out requirements for the sector and how it must be supervised. The FSB will report on progress to the G20 next year with formal checks on compliance starting that year. ... Full Story | Top |
| Married gay couples win U.S. marriage tax benefits nationwide Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:24 PM PDT  By Kevin Drawbaugh and Kim Dixon WASHINGTON (Reuters) - All legally wed gay couples, no matter which state they live in, are entitled to the same U.S. federal tax benefits as married heterosexual couples, the Obama administration said on Thursday. The U.S. Treasury ruling, following a landmark Supreme Court decision in June, means that whether a married gay couple lives in New York, which recognizes gay marriage, or Oklahoma, which does not, federal tax benefits and responsibilities apply. ... Full Story | Top |
| GDP growth beats forecasts; may boost case for Fed move Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 10:39 AM PDT  By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy accelerated sharply in the second quarter thanks to a surge in exports, bolstering the case for the Federal Reserve to wind down a major economic stimulus program. Other economic data on Thursday showed the number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits fell last week, a potential sign of faster hiring in August. U.S. gross domestic product grew at a 2.5 percent annual rate in the April-June period, according to revised estimates released by the Commerce Department. ... Full Story | Top |
| Car bomb in northern Iraqi city kills 11 Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 10:55 AM PDT TIKRIT, Iraq (Reuters) - A car bomb killed 11 people and wounded 27 in the Iraqi city of Samarra on Thursday, police and medical sources said, in the latest of an intensifying series of attacks. The parked vehicle blew up in a busy market in the city, 100 km (60 miles) north of Baghdad. More than 1,000 Iraqis were killed in attacks in July, the highest monthly toll since 2008, according to United Nations statistics. ... Full Story | Top |
| White House: Obama to make Syria decision based on U.S. interests Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 10:54 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House reiterated on Thursday that President Barack Obama would make a decision on how to respond to chemical weapons use in Syria based on U.S. national security interests. White House spokesman Josh Earnest noted in a briefing with reporters the comments by a top British official that the United States could make foreign policy decisions on its own. Obama said in an interview with PBS on Wednesday that use of chemical weapons in Syria affected U.S. national interests. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Steve Holland; Editing by Philip Barbara) Full Story | Top |
| Obama makes case for Syria strike, British house votes no Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:08 PM PDT  By Mark Hosenball and Oliver Holmes WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The British parliament on Thursday rejected a motion supporting military action in Syria, reflecting deep divisions about using force to punish President Bashar al-Assad for what Western governments believe was his use of chemical weapons against civilians. U.S. officials conceded on Thursday they lacked conclusive evidence that Assad personally ordered last week's poison gas attack, and some allies have warned that military action without U.N. Security Council authorization risks making the situation worse. ... Full Story | Top |
| Ghosts of Iraq war force Britain to delay Syria strike Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:55 AM PDT  By Guy Faulconbridge and Andrew Osborn LONDON (Reuters) - Prime Minister David Cameron's plans for joining a looming military strike on Syria were in disarray on Thursday after a revolt by lawmakers warning him to heed the "lessons of Iraq". After imploring the world not to stand idly by over Syria's suspected use of chemical weapons, Cameron was forced into an awkward climbdown on Wednesday when the opposition Labour party as well as lawmakers in his own Conservative party said they wanted more evidence before voting for military action. ... Full Story | Top |
| Insight: Syria pays for Russian weapons to boost ties with Moscow Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:45 AM PDT  By Thomas Grove MOSCOW (Reuters) - More than two years into Syria's civil war, President Bashar al-Assad is settling his bills for Russian arms orders through the Russian banking system to try to shore up ties with his most powerful ally, according to a Russian arms industry source. The payments, which have increased in recent months, show how Assad has sustained his ties with his main diplomatic defender, a relationship that has come under the spotlight this week as Western countries plan military action to punish him for suspected chemical weapons attacks on civilians. ... Full Story | Top |
| Insight - Getting tough in Congo: can risk pay off for U.N. forces? Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 09:46 AM PDT  By Jonny Hogg and Louis Charbonneau GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - In lawless eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a new U.N. force is trying a different strategy for keeping the peace: going on the attack. The Force Intervention Brigade has in recent days seen its first real action in an operation to keep rebels away from the city of Goma, near Congo's border with Rwanda. On Wednesday, one Tanzanian peacekeeper was killed and three other brigade members injured. Created by the U.N. Security Council earlier this year, the unit represents an aggressive step up for U.N. ... Full Story | Top |
| Russia sends warships to Mediterranean as Syria tension rises Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 11:01 AM PDT  By Timothy Heritage MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Thursday it was sending warships to the Mediterranean, but denied it was beefing up its naval force there as Western powers prepare for military action against Syria. Interfax news agency quoted a source in the armed forces' general staff as saying Russia, Syria's most powerful ally, was deploying a missile cruiser from the Black Sea Fleet and a large anti-submarine ship from the Northern Fleet in the "coming days". ... Full Story | Top |
| Pentagon opens criminal probe of Russian helicopter deals Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 03:32 PM PDT  By Brian Grow and Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon has opened a criminal investigation of an Army aviation unit that awarded tens of millions of dollars worth of contracts to Russian and U.S. firms for maintenance and overhaul of Russian-made helicopters, according to people familiar with the matter. The investigation, which has not been made public before, is led by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service. ... Full Story | Top |
| U.S. transfers two Guantanamo detainees to Algeria Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 10:20 AM PDT  By Andrea Shalal-Esa and David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Thursday it had transferred two men from the U.S. detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the government of Algeria as part of its ongoing effort to close the controversial prison. The Pentagon said Nabil Said Hadjarab and Mutia Sadiq Ahmad Sayyab were transferred on Wednesday and arrived in Algeria the same day, leaving 164 detainees at Guantanamo, including 84 others cleared for release years ago. ... Full Story | Top |
| Pakistan overturns jail term of doctor who helped find bin Laden Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 07:44 AM PDT By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistan on Thursday overturned a 33-year jail term handed down to a doctor who helped CIA agents find al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, a decision which may result in a new trial. Shakil Afridi, hailed as a hero by U.S. officials, was arrested after U.S. special forces killed bin Laden in May 2011 in the town of Abbottabad in a secret raid that outraged Pakistan and strained relations between the strategic allies. Afridi's conviction in 2012 further soured the atmosphere. U.S. senators withheld $33 million in aid in retaliation. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: With Brotherhood out, old order shapes Egypt's future Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 06:09 AM PDT  By Tom Perry and Lin Noueihed CAIRO (Reuters) - Workers in blue overalls clamber over scaffolding around Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, whitewashing its charred walls to restore a semblance of normalcy to the corner of Cairo where the struggle for Egypt reached a bloody climax this month. After a stunning reversal in which the army seized upon a tide of public discontent to overthrow freely elected President Mohamed Mursi, the powerful state apparatus appears to have all but neutralized the Muslim Brotherhood to which he belongs. Not only that. ... Full Story | Top |
| Kerry, Hagel among U.S. officials briefing Congress on Syria: source Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 08:08 AM PDT  By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel are among senior U.S. officials who will brief members of Congress on Thursday about the situation in Syria, a congressional aide told Reuters. President Barack Obama's National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper will also participate in the briefing to be held in conference call at 6 p.m. EDT (2200 GMT), according to the aide, who had been informed of the briefing lineup by the White House. ... Full Story | Top |
| Challenger aims to outshine modest Merkel in TV clash Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 05:16 AM PDT  By Noah Barkin BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) are citing Mitt Romney's dominating performance in his first debate against Barack Obama last year as a model for Sunday's TV clash with Angela Merkel to spice up the last few weeks of a lackluster campaign. Peer Steinbrueck, the SPD candidate for chancellor, is trailing badly in opinion polls, but his rhetorical gifts could give him an edge over Merkel in their only televised showdown before the September 22 election, and he could be helped by the inclusion of an irreverent entertainer on the question panel. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Syria, aided by Iran, could strike back at U.S. in cyberspace Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:07 AM PDT  By Joseph Menn SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - If the United States attacks Syria, it will be the first time it strikes a country that is capable of waging retaliatory cyberspace attacks on American targets. The risk is heightened by Syria's alliance with Iran, which has built up its cyber capability in the past three years, and already gives the country technical and other support. If Iran stood with Syria in any fray with the United States that would significantly increase the cyber threat, security experts said. ... Full Story | Top |
| Assad says Syria will defend itself against aggression Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 04:21 AM PDT  BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday that Syria would defend itself against any aggression following reports that the United States and its allies were preparing military action in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack. "The threats of direct aggression against Syria will only increase our commitment to our deep-rooted principles and the independent will of our people. Syria will defend itself in the face of any aggression," state television quoted Assad as telling a delegation of Yemeni politicians. (Reporting by Oliver Holmes; Editing by Jon Boyle) Full Story | Top |
| U.N. chemical weapons team reaches rebel-held territory: activists Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 02:10 AM PDT  BEIRUT (Reuters) - The United Nations team of chemical weapons experts in Syria reached rebel-held territory outside Damascus on Thursday, activists said, and was preparing to start a third day of investigations into an apparent poison gas attack in the area. Activists said the team had arrived in the eastern suburb of Douma and were going to examine the sites where activists say rockets loaded with chemical weapons struck. The team will also run more tests and interviews with the wounded, they said. (Reporting by Erika Solomon; Editing by Janet Lawrence) Full Story | Top |
| Jobless claims data points to pickup in job gains in August Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 05:39 AM PDT  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell as expected last week, suggesting a strengthening in job gains in August after a slight pullback the prior month. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 331,000, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Claims for the prior week were revised to show 1,000 more applications received than previously reported. Economists polled by Reuters had expected first-time applications to fall to 332,000 last week. ... Full Story | Top |
| Insight:Syria crisis tests U.S. defense chief wary of war Wednesday, Aug 28, 2013 10:55 PM PDT  By Phil Stewart BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Brunei (Reuters) - Since U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel left for Southeast Asia last week, he has been wrestling with a dilemma at the heart of Washington's policy on Syria and Hagel's own guiding philosophy - when and how to go to war. "I think the world has had enough war," Hagel told a forum in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. He was responding to a question about the threat of conflict with China but broadened his answer to talk about war, generally. ... Full Story | Top |
| Colombia president says government ready for peace talks with ELN rebels Wednesday, Aug 28, 2013 10:17 PM PDT  By Helen Murphy and Peter Murphy BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos on Wednesday said he is ready to start peace talks with the smaller of two leftist rebel groups, the National Liberation Army, in an effort to end half a century of war in the Andean nation. Santos' decision to engage in dialogue with the guerrilla group, known as the ELN, came after it freed a Canadian geologist this week after holding him hostage for seven months. ... Full Story | Top |
| Analysis: Strike on Syria could trigger retaliatory attacks, cyberwar Wednesday, Aug 28, 2013 10:09 PM PDT  By Warren Strobel and David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - It's a truism often repeated in the Pentagon and across the U.S. security establishment: In war, the enemy gets a vote. A U.S.-led cruise missile attack on Syria in response to its alleged use of chemical weapons, which seems increasingly likely in the coming days, could provoke reprisals from Damascus and its backers, ranging from retaliatory missile strikes to terrorist attacks and cyberwar, according to government officials and private analysts. U.S. ... Full Story | Top |
| Britain sends six RAF jets to Cyprus in defensive role Thursday, Aug 29, 2013 02:41 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is sending six RAF Typhoon jets to Cyprus as a defensive measure amid growing tensions over Syria and talks of Western military intervention. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the air-to-air interceptor jets would be deployed to the British Akrotiri base in Cyprus on Thursday. "This is purely a prudent and precautionary measure to ensure the protection of UK interests and the defence of our Sovereign Base Areas at a time of heightened tension in the wider region," the spokesman said. ... Full Story | Top |
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